Processes for making certain bicyclic compounds and intermediates have been described in various publications, such an U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,684,727; 4,628,055; 4,680,298; 4,492,702; 4,452,800; in Japanese Patent Disclosure 11,649; in European Patent Application 0127135; and in the article "Phosphorous Pentoxide in Organic Synthesis, III"--A New Synthesis of Pyrido [2,3-d]-pyrimidin-4(3H)-ones, O. Andersen and E. Pederson Liebigs Ann. Chem. 1982, 1012-1015. It would be desirable to provides processes for preparing bicyclic compounds and their intermediates whose yields are as good as or better then methods previously taught. It would also be desirable to provide a process for preparing said bicyclic compounds and intermediates which requires even fewer steps than methods previously taught.